System and method for providing information based on geographic position

ABSTRACT

A system and method for providing position information using a three-dimensional based grid is provided. The position information may be relayed to an electronic device by providing location information to a database and receiving location-centric information at the electronic device. The system may include a network for continuously updating the database in real-time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/266,144 entitled “System and Method for Providing Information Basedon Geographic Position,” filed Apr. 30, 2014, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/892,501 entitled “System and Methodfor Providing Information Based on Geographic Position,” filed May 13,2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/275,683 entitled “System and Method for Providing Information Basedon Geographic Position,” filed Nov. 21, 2008 (now U.S. Pat. No.8,442,550), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/644,060 entitled “System and Method for Providing Information Basedon Geographic Position,” filed Aug. 20, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No.7,457,628), which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/404,776 entitled “System and Methodfor Providing Position Information,” filed on Aug. 21, 2002, and whichis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/774,119entitled “Position-Based Information Access Device and Method ofSearching,” filed on Jan. 31, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,665), whichis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/639,265entitled “Global Positioning-Based Real Estate Database Access Deviceand Method,” filed on Aug. 15, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,541), whichclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/186,155 entitled “Global Positioning-Based Real EstateDatabase Access Device and Method,” filed on Feb. 29, 2000. Each of theabove applications are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for accessing andmanaging information, and, more particularly to method and apparatus forobtaining real-time updates about an individual's surroundings based ontheir position.

2. Description of the Related Art

People often desire to obtain information about a particular location atwhich they are located, whether it be a famous or historic landmark, anoffice building, a business location, a piece of real estate, anairport, a hotel, shopping mall, a sports arena, a tropical rain forest,a redwood forest, a mountain range, a river, a single island or a stringof islands, a war zone, or a hostage area. The traditional methods ofobtaining such information include using printed materials such as guidebooks, maps, etc., communicating with people knowledgeable about theparticular location, and researching the particular location eitherbefore or after being physically present at the location.

Such methods of obtaining information may significantly detract from theperson's ability to appreciate or experience the location at which theyare present. Put more simply, the person may not be able to gather oraccess enough information about the location because it is not readilyavailable. Additionally, the person may not be able to accessinformation about the location that is based on time. For example, if aperson is visiting a famous landmark at a time when there are no tourguides available and the local gift shop is closed, the person may notbe able to obtain valuable information about the landmark. While tourguides typically are associated with famous landmarks, landmarks as usedin this context may be a famous or non-famous landmark, including, butnot limited to the following types of landmarks: a historic area, anamusement park, open houses (i.e., in the real estate context), a groupof substantially co-located restaurants. Although the person may be ableto get location-centric information later, that isn't always a suitablealternative. Even in the event where a person is able to obtain printedmaterials, they are often cumbersome to carry around and read throughwhile traveling from place to place. Moreover, as a person visitsnumerous locations, they tend to accumulate vast amounts of printedmaterials.

Another example in which location-specific, or time sensitiveinformation is not readily obtained is during a real estate search. Thetraditional method of buying real estate requires the prospectivepurchaser to transact through a real estate broker for virtually everyaspect of the transaction, from finding a desired property to completingthe sale. Often the most difficult part of the process, from the buyer'sperspective, is locating a desired piece of real estate. There aregenerally two methods employed to locate a desired piece of property.

The first method relies solely on the real estate broker to use his orher contacts, including listing services, to locate property that meetsthe buyer's specifications. The second is more random, in that if abuyer happens to pass a piece of property that is displaying a “forsale” sign, the buyer can write down the phone number shown on the signto later inquire about the property, which then places the transactiontotally within the broker's hands, as the broker controls all theinformation relating to the property (e.g., size and cost).

People also have a difficult time finding exactly the right features intheir house search or have trouble adding exactly the right features totheir existing homes. People generally have difficulty finding exactlythe right manufacturer or service provider to provide particularfeatures for their home or office. Moreover, it is difficult to find anarchitect to design a home of the style that a person desires, or tofind a landscaper or gardener to achieve a look that a person wants,etc. Most often, people will look in the phone book to get a list ofservice providers or manufacturers and then end up driving all over townto review samples of various service providers' work.

People are also often interested in events that are occurring relativeto their position. For example, people that are traveling are oftenconcerned about the position of a storm that may interfere with theirtravel plans. Therefore, systems that may relay information about theenvironment and based on the position and relative movements of both thestorm, for example, and the electronic device used by the user areneeded.

Over the last few years, various computer-related methods for locatingreal estate have been introduced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,989relates to a computerized map-based real estate search system in which auser can zoom in on a map to greater levels of detail, in order toobtain a more accurate view of the location of an available piece ofproperty. The mapping system in the '989 patent is centered about auser-selectable landmark, and the different maps that are generated arealso centered about the landmark. There is an associated propertydatabase that can be accessed remotely either by searching by specifiedcriteria or by using the mapping system. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No.5,852,810 covers an Internet map-based real estate search system thatoperates in a similar manner to the '989 patent. The system disclosed inthe '810 patent also permits a user to search criteria after narrowingthe map-based search down to the city level, thereby allowing acriteria-based search in addition to a location-based search.

When accessing property information via a computer, it is oftendesirable to view an image of the property at the same time. In thisregard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,216 is directed to an interactive multimediareal estate database including interior images and exterior images ofthe selected house, the floor plan of the house, a textual descriptionof the property, etc. Additionally, links are provided on the exteriorimage of the house that, if clicked, permit the user to view theinterior of the corresponding room.

The foregoing patents require a user to be located at a computer, andremote from the property. The technology disclosed in these patents isnot effective when a buyer is driving past a particular piece ofproperty and would like additional information about that property. Itwould be desirable for a prospective buyer to be able to accessinformation relating to a piece of property as the buyer was present atthe property, at any time of day, and whether or not the propertydisplayed a “for sale” sign. This type of information is ideally suitedto be transmitted via a wireless device. Furthermore, it would beadvantageous to transmit location-centric information to a user bylocation, even where the user is not aware of the particular address ofthe location.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,699 relates to an address retrieval system based onthe position of a cellular telephone. A cell phone user can requestinformation relating to businesses that are located in the proximity ofthe user, based upon the geographic position of the user as determinedby pinpointing the location of the cell phone. Once the location of theuser is determined, a database that is keyed on geographic location issearched, looking for businesses of the type requested by the user(e.g., restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc.) that are located in thearea around the user. The system disclosed in the '699 patent may informa user about a location of a restaurant (or other service location) butdoes not give the user real-time information pertaining to tableavailability, hours of operation, current specials. Furthermore, thesystem of the '699 patent does not compare table availability of anumber of substantially co-located restaurants.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,721 discloses a mobile computer system having abuilt-in global positioning system (GPS) locator and an associateddatabase that displays relevant information to the user based upon theuser's current location. The database is accessed in real time as theuser's position changes and is primarily focused on task-basedinformation. For example, if a stored task is to buy milk, as the userapproaches the grocery store, he or she is reminded to buy milk. Thispatent also discusses route planning between multiple stops, as well asa business-locating function similar to that described in the '699patent.

It will thus be appreciated that it is difficult for a person to obtaininformation about their surroundings without the benefit of knowingtheir exact position. It is also difficult for a person to appreciatethe full extent of their surroundings and objects and/or events that arelocated at some position relative to their surroundings.

SUMMARY

In an effort to address the aforementioned problems, the embodiments ofthe invention strive to provide an apparatus and methods whereby anindividual is able to readily obtain location-centric information abouta specific physical location via a wireless device. The wireless devicemay include systems for determining the location of the wireless device.For example, the wireless device may include a GPS transceiver.Additionally, this location-centric information may include informationthat is streamed to the user in real-time and pertains to currentlyoccurring events in or near the location of the user. As used herein,location-centric information may include information about the currentstate of affairs at or around the location of the wireless device.Furthermore, the location-centric information may include informationabout a future occurrence at or around the location. For example,location-centric information about a future occurrence may include thefact that there will be a concert at the particular location tomorrow,or that there is a severe thunderstorm approaching and will be passingthough the area in the near future. Location-centric information mayalso include information about the history of a particular location.Generally, any type of information about a particular location may beretrieved from the database of location-centric information based on alocation of the electronic device.

One embodiment of the invention may use a predefined base grid as aframe of reference for determining location and for retrievinglocation-centric information based on the location of an electronicdevice. For example, the base grid may be a geocoded base grid utilizinggeocode information in association with the location-centric informationstored in a database. The base grid may include a number of volumes.These volumes may define locations within the base grid.

Other objects, advantages and features associated with the embodimentsof the invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following detailed description. As will be realized,the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and itsseveral details are capable of modification in various aspects, allwithout departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and thedescription are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and notlimitative.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic of an information retrieval system in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a methodaccording to the invention.

FIG. 3 is an example of a location identifier display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an example of an information search display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an example of a data retrieval display produced on a wirelessdevice of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an example of an appointment display produced on a wirelessdevice of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an example of a search initiation display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an example of a search selection display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is an example of a criteria selection display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an example of a transaction type display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is an example of a narrow search display produced on a wirelessdevice of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is an example of a data presentation display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is an example of a similar search display produced on a wirelessdevice of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is an example of a similar search results display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is an example of a similar search address display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is an example of a feature search display produced on a wirelessdevice of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 17 is an example of a feature selection display produced on awireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is an example of a narrow feature selection display produced ona wireless device of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is an example of a feature detail display produced on a wirelessdevice of the system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is an exemplary base grid according to an aspect of theinvention.

FIG. 21 illustrates the relationship between database information fieldsand the geographic position, as well as the relationship between thedatabase and the electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an information retrieval system 100suitable for implementing the features of the invention, and FIG. 2illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method of the invention. System100 includes one or more wireless devices 102 and may also include acomputer 104 and a location-centric information system 110 that includesan information database 112. The location-centric information mayinclude information about what is occurring at the location at the pointin time that the database is queried. For example, this database may beupdated on a daily basis, or may be updated in real-time via a network.Users 106, 108 may retrieve position-based location-centric informationfrom location-centric information system 110 over a network 120 for usewith devices 102, 104.

In one embodiment, wireless device 102 is a hand-held electronic deviceincluding a global positioning system (GPS) locator whose location canbe pinpointed using known means. In another embodiment, CDMA cellularpositioning technology, such as that available from QUALCOMM, may beincorporated in device 102. In a further embodiment, wireless device 102may include a cellular telephone capable of receiving and displayingnon-voice data and whose location can be pinpointed using known means.

In an alternative embodiment, the wireless device may include atransceiver, the transceiver being configured to transmit a signal todetermine a geographical location of a point remote from the location ofthe electronic device 102. The transceiver may then receive informationfrom the remote location that identifies that remote location to theelectronic device. Location-centric information about that particularlocation may then be obtained at the device 102, even though the device102 is located at a point displaced from the remote location. This maybe implemented using RFID (radio-frequency ID tags) and an RFID sensorand transmitter on the device 102; using bar codes (using a laseremitter and an optical sensor); or may be radar generated. In a radargenerated embodiment, the device 102 may emit a signal in a particulardirection. That signal may reflect from a structure located remotelyfrom the device 102. Based on the time of the return signal, thedistance to that remote point may be determined. The device 102 may beconfigured to perform a mathematical calculation knowing the speed ofthe radar signal (approximated as the speed of light in most cases), thedifference in time transmitted and the time received at the device todetermine the distance to the target item. Having this distanceinformation and knowing the compass direction at which the signal wasemitted (e.g., 0°, or due north) the device may query the database basedon the remote location.

In addition to the aforementioned embodiments, device 102 may also be anetwork hybrid device. The types of location methods for use in theinvention may comprise EOA, Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Time ofArrival (TOA), GPS cell ID, and network-assisted GPS systems as well asothers. While geographic position information may be provided tolocation-centric information system 110 from wireless device 102, it isalso possible for location-centric information system 110 toindependently determine the position of wireless device 102. Wirelessdevice 102 may include an automobile-based device that incorporates thetelematics principles.

Wireless device 102 and computer 104 are each operable by a user 106,108 and each include a user input/output, a display, and a memory.Wireless device 102, and computer 104 are each configured to runsoftware to retrieve and view location-centric information from database112 of location-centric information system 110 over network 120. Asdescribed below, a user interface rendered on wireless device 102 andcomputer 104 also enables users 106, 108 to carry out variousactivities, including, for example, information retrieval, appointmentscheduling, data searches, etc. Hence, wireless device 102 and computer104 are devices by which each user 106, 108 can download and/or viewinformation related to a landmark at which they are located and retrieveand view the information regarding the particular landmark.

For purposes of the present application, the term “landmark” may be usedto refer to any (1) physical structure such as a residence, apartment,apartment building, detached home, partially detached home, townhouse,condominium, co-op, building, etc.; (2) natural feature such as a bodyof water, glacier, canyon, cave, mountain, mountain range, etc.; (3)historical feature such as a monument, memorial, statue, battle field,historic location, park, trail, etc.; or (4) commercial feature such asa stadium, arena, school, shopping mall, strip mall, store, grocerystore, parking garage, airport, hotel, inn, hostel, camp ground, cardealer, car rental establishment, hospital, etc. Furthermore, while thedescription may describe particular embodiments as being used toidentify location-centric information associated with a particularlandmark, one of skill in the art will appreciate that the particularembodiments described herein are equally applicable to particularenvironments, for example, a rain forest, a river and/or an island. Inanother alternative embodiment, the information may not pertain to alocation or an environment, but may pertain to a live event, such as apower outage, a flood, a hurricane, or a tornado.

Suitable implementations of wireless devices 102 and computer 104include devices such as laptop computers, wireless telephones, portableworkstations, personal data assistants (“PDA's”), pagers, and variousother portable electronic communication devices capable of carrying outsimilar activities. Where wireless device 102 is a PDA or similardevice, user 106 may utilize conventional methods to provide input.Where wireless device 102 is an automobile-based device, user 106 mayutilize manual methods or voice commands to provide input to wirelessdevice 102. In such a situation, wireless device 102 is equipped withvoice-recognition software known in the art.

Network 120 may be any form of interconnecting network including anintranet, such as a local or wide area network, or an extranet, such asthe World Wide Web or the Internet. Network 120 can be physicallyimplemented on a wireless or wired network, on leased or dedicatedlines, including a virtual private network (VPN). Communications network120 can be any type of communications network, such that computer 104and wireless device 102, whether a hand-held electronic device or acellular telephone, can both access location-centric information system110 to retrieve and view information from database 112. The inventionmay be used in conjunction with a wireless operating system such as theWireless Application Protocol (WAP).

In one embodiment, system 100 is based on the WINDOWS operating system.In another embodiment, system 100 is based on the PALM operating system.In yet a further embodiment, system 100 is based on a UNIX operatingsystem. System 100 may also be internet-based and generate web-browserand web page data, such as HTML, JavaScript, Java applets, Java 2 MicroEdition (J2ME), Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (Brew), WirelessApplication Protocol (WAP), etc.

While the invention may be used in conjunction with any of thecategories of landmarks described above, it may be used in a real estatecontext. Many of the examples illustrated herein relate to use of theinvention with respect to real estate. However, the invention isapplicable to any of the landmarks described above.

Database 112 may be an ODBC-compliant database, such that it isaccessible via a variety of database programs. Database 112 may includea variety of different location-centric information regarding eachlandmark stored therein. Database 112 may also include textual data anda voice description of a landmark at a particular location, such thatthis information can be retrieved by either wireless device 102 orcomputer 104. Database 112 may also include photographs of the property,floor plans of any buildings on the property (in two-dimensional andthree-dimensional views), animation, or video footage of the property,representing a virtual walk-through of the property. Not only may thedatabase include information about the terrestrial property, but thedatabase may include information about subterranean features, such astunnels, mines, and manholes. The floor plans may include exit/egressplans for buildings, electrical, ventilation, gas, or plumbingschematics. The information may also include occupancy type and totalcapacity of a particular property. The accessibility of these graphicalelements of database 112 may be dependent upon the display capabilitiesof the receiving device. In one embodiment of the invention, database112 may be used in connection with a multiple listing service (MLS) toprovide information on as large a number of properties as possible.

Accordingly, although location-centric information system 110 may storeinformation related to real estate, it may store other information aswell. The information may be stored in a single database 112 or multipledatabases. For example, location-centric information system 110 maystore any combination of information regarding any of the following inany number of databases 112. Location-centric information system 110 mayinclude information regarding single family homes, condominiums, townhouses, apartments, historic buildings, monuments, memorials, parks,statues, bodies of water, mountain ranges, canyons, trails, electricallines, oil pipelines, manhole covers, etc. The location-centricinformation system 110 may further include information regarding officebuildings, including directories, occupants/tenants, floor plans, leasedata/availability, specifications, services offered in the building,etc. Additional information including seating availability in arestaurant, the location of a manhole cover, the status of a power grid,and exit/egress plans may also be made available using the methods andsystems of the invention. Location-centric information system 110 mayfurther include information regarding business locations such as retailoutlets, and restaurants, including information about services offered,menus, prices, etc. Location-centric information system 110 may alsoinclude information regarding airports, including maps, flightinformation, parking information, retail information, etc.Location-centric information system 110 may also include informationregarding hotels including room availability, rates, historicalinformation, directories, etc. Location-centric information system 110may include information related to shopping malls including directoryinformation, maps, operating hours, parking information, etc.Location-centric information system 110 may also include informationregarding sports arenas such as seating diagrams, concessions available,services offered, etc. Location-centric information system 110 mayinclude any information about any location that may be provided by arepresentative of the particular location to be included in database 112or that may be independently entered into database 112 by a party notaffiliated with the particular location.

A user of the location-centric information system 110 can acquirevirtually any information about their surroundings. To accomplish thistask, the system preferably includes some location-determiningcommunications device 102 as described above, such as a cell phone, PDA,etc. and an associated method of determining position such as, GPS,triangulation, or long-range sensor or scanning device which can detectan object. There may also be some way to transmit this information to acomputer and/or communication network such as a wireless or Internetenabled connection as described above. There may be a database 112 ordistributed database storage network that handles both base data andspatial information as well as the real time input from the transmissionof new data. Finally, there can be a method to automatically update andorder data, as well as handle real-time updates of the data.

A method of real-time updating of the database containing thelocation-centric information may include updating the database usingdata streamed from a third-party supplier of information. For example,information from the National Weather Service may be streamed into thedatabase and classified according to geographic location. Thisinformation may be streamed via a network such as the internet, oralternatively may be streamed via other closed circuit or wirelesscommunications network. Alternatively, information from the Office ofHomeland Security may be sent to the database over the network. Forexample, location-centric information about an imminent terrorist threatat or proximate to the location of a user may be sent to the user of theelectronic device.

The system utilizes location detection information to communicate withdatabase 112. In addition to sending location information to thedatabase, information identifying the current time may be sent to thedatabase. This information may allow a user to determine what isoccurring in the particular location at that point in time. Whencombined with updated spatial information, a spatial information grid isformed that can be accessed via device 102 or a computer network.Tapping into this information grid allows a user to rapidly find orobtain information about living or inanimate objects—stationary ormoving—on a planet's surface, underground, in its atmosphere or withinits space/gravitational pull.

Characteristics of an Object: Living or inanimate; stationary or movingStationary Objects* Moving Objects Living Objects Tree person, animalInanimate Objects house, mountain, utility pipe car, satellite, tornado*Some of these objects can change characteristics. A stationary item canbe moved i.e. a computer or bomb; or a living object can be killed, forexample.

In the location-centric information system 110, an object can be locatedin a number of different ways as described above. Once located, theobject can be identified by matching it to information in the spatialinformation grid database. Information about the object, the object'ssurroundings, and associated information can be determined from thedatabase 112. This spatial information grid database is previouslypopulated with base data and is programmed to accept real time inputsand order this data to maintain an expanding seamless robust grid. Thesereal-time inputs may be processed through algorithms that reorder thedata and properly associate the data with a particular location withinthe grid. Through this means, a “self healing grid” may be created. Thisconcept of a self healing grid is based on the continuously expandingamount of information that may be received about the locations andparticular volumes within the grid.

For example, a grid may be thought of in either two or three dimensions.This example focuses on a three-dimensional grid. The grid may define atotal volume of a particular size. The size of the grid may be an officebuilding, a museum, a neighborhood, a city, a nation, or any other size.This grid may include information about latitude, longitude andelevation or altitude, making the location informationthree-dimensional. In a grid having only one item of location centricinformation, the grid includes only one volume. For example, defining agrid based on the state of California, a user may obtain informationthat states “you are in the state of California.” This being the onlylocation-centric information in the base grid. More information may thenbe added to the grid. For example, the names of each of the cities,towns, villages, etc may be included in the database. The grid can thenbe defined by a number of volumes of differing sizes. As a user travelsfrom city to city, they may be informed that they are in the city of SanDiego, or Oakland, or San Francisco. Additional information may then beadded to the database associated with each street address in theparticular city in the state of California. Even more information maythen be added about the historical events that occurred at some of orall of the addresses in California.

Each time more information is added to the database, the grid becomesmore seamless. Information can then be updated in real-time making thegrid not only seamless in the spatial sense, but also in a temporalsense. Location-centric information may include information that isstreamed to the user in real-time and pertains to currently occurringevents at or near the location of the user. As used herein,location-centric information may include information about the currentstate of affairs at or around the location of the wireless device.Furthermore, the location-centric information may include informationabout a future occurrence at or around the location. For example,location-centric information about a future occurrence may include thefact that there will be a concert at the particular location tomorrow,or that there is a severe thunderstorm approaching and will be passingthough the area in the near future. Generally, any type of informationabout a particular location may be retrieved from the database oflocation-centric information based on a location of the electronicdevice.

A grid that is both spatially and temporally seamless may be highlydesirable as it allows the user of an electronic device to query thedatabase containing the information to receive information about thecurrent conditions of any particular location they wish. For example, auser may receive information about the wait time at their favoriterestaurant, or a group of restaurants in a particular geographiclocation.

The system becomes “intelligent” by using the position of an object andupdating the spatial information grid database in real time. The system,based on an identified object, will know what the object is by queryingthe database and rapidly returning relevant environmental/surroundingsinformation based on the transmitted data. This return of information tothe database automatically fills in any “gaps” in the database about aparticular location, thereby making the system an intuitive one.

For example, in a wireless rendition a person may be holding a wirelessdevice, the system uses that device to get the location of the user, andallows the user to access information about the world around him,anywhere, as the spatial information grid database has already beenseeded and programmed.

In another scenario, that same user, working at some predeterminedcheckpoint, scans a person passing through the checkpoint with afingerprint or DNA scanner, which automatically checks for informationfrom a secure national security system. The person is identified and canbe tracked as they pass other checkpoints.

Likewise bombs or tornadoes can be tracked from their unique emissionsignatures. Real time information can be received and entered into thedatabase and plotted as it moves across the spatial grid. Once thisinformation has been associated with the proper geographic location orlocations, the information may be obtained by a user of the electronicdevice. The user may receive information about a projected path of astorm, for example, using the system and methods of the invention. Thisinformation may be based on a time-rate of change of a position of boththe user and the storm (i.e., but knowing the velocity (a vectorquantity, having both magnitude and direction) of the user and, forexample, a storm, the system may inform a user that they are headinginto a potentially dangerous situation.

This may be accomplished by using a wireless sensor configured to detectcertain environmental characteristics (e.g., the presence of an specificindividual, environmental temperature, or the presence of a fire orharmful chemical or biological substance) and then upload thisinformation to the database in real time. For example, a fire sensor maybe used to determine that there is a fire in a location. If the user isin, or proximate to, that particular location, information relevant tothe fire may be reported to the user. More particularly, forest firesmay be reported to an individual in a national, state, or municipal parkbased on the detected presence of a fire. Other factors associated withthe fire may also be relayed to the user. For example, the user may beinformed of the direction of the spread of the fire, and the rate of thespread of the fire. Such information may permit the user to escape adangerous situation. This information may also be used to project orforecast the direction of spread of the fire based on wind speed and theavailability of fuel for the fire. As an alternative, or in addition tothis type of information, the user may also receive information aboutpast fires that occurred in the location.

To create the system as described, the master or base grid database,which can be multi-point and distributed, is populated with relevantdata of multiple forms/formats. The information embedded in the databaseincludes location and description tags/codes or signatures. In additionto the location description information, the information entered intothe database may also include a time or time/date stamp, which can allowa user to access both location-centric and time-based information fromthe database based on their location. The database includes an automatedfeedback mechanism to enable the database to receive real time updatesfrom multiple computers, electronic and/or communication devices andnetworks which will contain information with location and or signatureswhich need to be matched to data and files in the based grid database toprovide relevant information returns. Thus, the database creates aseamless grid of information that is tied to the location-centricinformation and ultimately provided in real time to the user. Inaddition to being seamless with respect to spatial information, thedatabase may be created so that the database is temporally seamless.Temporally seamless use of the database may be established by using allavailable historic information in conjunction with information that hasbeen added to the database in real-time to identify the current state ofaffairs of a particular location, and may also include all determinableinformation about future affairs. For example, if the 2012 Olympics willheld at a particular location, a user in the year 2003 may find thisfuture information out using a temporally seamless grid according to anaspect of the invention.

The base grid may be defined using geocodes. A geocode is an identifierassigned to both a map feature and a data record containing attributesthat describe the entity represented by the map feature. Moreparticularly, geocoding is a process of matching records in twodatabases. The first database is an address database (without mapposition information) and the second database includes a referencestreet map or other address dictionary (with known map positioninformation). After the information in these two types of databases hasbeen correlated, the database information carries its own positioninformation and can be mapped without the reference street map oraddress dictionary.

Geocodes may be constructed to any level of specificity. For example,geocoding may be done by zip code, by street, census tract, or byaddress. Various coordinate systems may be used to geocode. For exampletraditional latitude and longitude systems may be used. Alternatively,systems employing Universal Transverse Mercator (“UTM”) may be used.

The grid may be seamless over a particular geographic location (i.e.,“spatially seamless”). This means that the database may have informationassociated with each location throughout the grid. With reference toFIG. 20, as an electronic device, “ED” travels from one location, “L₁”to a second location, “L₂,” other volumes, “V” within the base grid maybe passed through. These volumes will all have information associatedwith them, so as a user moves though each of the volumes between a firstlocation, “L₁” and a second location, “L₂,” information may be streamedto the user via the electronic device, “ED,” describing each area thatthe user is passing through. Additional aspects of FIG. 20 are describedin further detail below.

Additionally, the invention includes a method of creating a seamlessdatabase including obtaining information from a number of differentsources associated with a number of locations. This information may, butneed not, define a seamless grid. After the base grid is defined,information may be obtained to supply data for locations within the basegrid that have no information associated with those locations. Take forexample a location that has no information associated with it in thedatabase. A sensor may be placed at that location and may be used toupdate the database to provide location-centric information associatedwith that location. A sensor need not be used in this instance, andrather information may originate from a third party and concern variousfixtures installed in that location, for example a particular store or abillboard.

As the database is filled for a group of adjoining volumes within thegrid, the adjoining volumes begin to define a spatially seamless grid.This method may be repeated until a completely spatially seamless gridhas been formed for a particular predetermined base grid. Informationmay also be added and time-coded such that the temporally-seamless griddiscussed above is formed. Alternatively, the database may include onlytemporally seamless information. The term “seamless grid” (meaningeither or both of temporally seamless and spatially seamless) isunderstood to account for the rapidly evolving state of informationavailable from all sources. However, in this respect, the database isself-healing as it is updated in real-time, so as the database receivesmore information, the grid becomes ever-more seamless. This repetitiveprocess may never be complete. However, one of skill in the art willrealize that the term “seamless” is relative to the informationretrieval capacity and storage capacity of the system, bandwidth of thenetwork links, speed of the processors, bandwidth of the wirelesssatellite uplink, availability of information, among other factors.However, the database may be made as seamless as possible by obtainingdiverse information from a number of sources spread throughout aparticular base grid.

The master database is embedded with base data and content in flat, 2Dand 3D, voice, audio and video form. A method to rapidly acquire realtime information to populate and grow the grid is provided. Base datacould include property information, natural and built infrastructuredata such as geographical information systems (GIS), building plans andComputer Aided Design (CAD) files, navigational maps, natural resourcesurveys, socio-economic data, DNA and other life signatures, corporatedata, weather data, military data, natural disaster (either current orpast) data, man made disaster data, homeland security data, census data,or location-centric evacuation data. This data may be static or updatedin real-time via a network.

The system is developed to intake, scrub, correct, order, and storedata, into a searchable format, and accept, categorize, and order realtime data that updates the grid. The data may also be date stamped, timestamped, or date and time stamped. This may allow the system to create amore seamless database.

Each piece or field of data should also be ordered and coded, so it canbe located or tracked within the database and when the database receivesreal time queries from a computer or communication system relaying aquery which may include the location of the query. Types of locationcoding or “tags” include coordinates such as latitude and longitude,addresses, parcel ID's, and other geocodes. The coding may also includedate and/or time stamps. Thus, the database may be queried on acombination of both geographic location data and temporal data. Types ofsignatures include DNA or other molecular identifying code or make-up ofa living or inanimate object which could also include embedded plasmas,ions, chips, nano-barcode structures, etc. with the specific purpose ofidentifying items such as bomb making material or radiation and/ortracking and identifying an object or person.

When a user queries the spatial information grid database through acomputer or wireless device attached to a network, real time signatures,geocodes or tags related to the query are sent with the query to thespatial information grid database, which matches real time identifierswith the database records.

By creating such a spatial information grid, information can be readilyobtained about any point within the grid from any other point within thegrid (on a planet surface, underground, in its atmosphere or within itsspace/gravitational pull).

A person with a cell phone, a location chip in his clothing or embeddedin their body, can receive a stream of information about theirsurroundings/environment as they move through the space defined by thegrid. For example, the person will know what building is in front ofthem, where is the eye of the hurricane in relation to their position,where the endangered birch tree is relative to their location, etc. Inanother embodiment of the invention, a user may receive informationabout how a particular environmental event (e.g., a weather pattern)relates to their present location.

Once the user's position is obtained form a location detection system asdescribed above, the position signal is sent to the spatial informationgrid database, which locks onto similar data that matches the location.Data about the surroundings is then rapidly returned to the user. Thisinformation may be up-to-the-minute information about property,amusement park lines, restaurant seating availability and specials, etc.Additionally, the information may be information that is projected intothe future, (i.e., the path of an on-going natural or man-madeoccurrence (e.g., a chemical spill, a cloud of noxious or poisonousgasses, a volcano eruption, etc.). Additionally, traffic congestioninformation may also be conveyed to the user.

FIG. 20 illustrates an exemplary base grid according to an embodiment ofthe invention. The base grid, “BG” may contain a multitude of volumes,“V.” These volumes define the base grid. While the volumes are shown asbeing equal in size, they need not be. Additionally, while the volumesdepicted are symmetrical, the volumes may be any shape or size. Alocation within the base grid is illustrated as “L₁.” The location “L₁”is a volume “V” with an electronic device, “ED” contained therein.Therefore, the location is not necessarily fixed within the base gridand will change as a user of the electronic device moves from volume tovolume (or for example from L₁ to L₂) within the base grid. As theelectronic device will be located in only one location at a time, theinformation received by the electronic device will be associated withthe particular volume that the electronic device, “ED” is located in.

This system can be accessed from any communication device or computer,and the database may be queried by typing data into an electronicdevice, via audio, or interactively selecting particular data fields orhyperlinks to data fields from a video or map, for example.

Any one of, or combinations of, the above-described information storedby database 112 may be communicated to wireless device 102, and computer104 over network 120 in the manner described in greater detail below.

The following description of the operation of system 100 includes thefunction and interaction of user 106 and wireless device 102 with theremainder of system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. However, it is to beunderstood that the following description is equally applicable to user108 and computer 104, and multiple other users and wireless devices, orportable computers not illustrated in FIG. 1.

One method of the invention will now be described in reference to FIG.2. As will be apparent, the operations illustrated in FIG. 2 need notoccur in the illustrated order. As illustrated by FIG. 2, at anoperation 202, wireless device 102 may be connected to location-centricinformation system 110 via network 120 according to known methods. At anoperation 204, the location of the user 106 (i.e., geographic position,latitude/longitude) is determined using one of the methods describedabove. At an operation 206, wireless device 102 provides the geographicposition information to location-centric information system 110.

In an operation 208, location-centric information system 110 mayretrieve location-centric information from database 112 based on thegeographic position information provided by wireless device 102. In oneembodiment, location-centric information system 110 also retrieves alocation identifier from database 112. A location identifier is anindicator associated with a particular landmark. The location identifieris representative of a landmark located at the geographic positionassociated with wireless device 102 and may take any of a variety offorms. For example, a location identifier may be a street address of aresidential unit (e.g., house, condominium, etc.) at which user 106 islocated. Alternatively, the location identifier may be a video imagesuch as a picture or other graphical representation of the landmark atwhich user 106 is located. Further, the location identifier may be avideo or audio representation of the landmark at which user 106 islocated. Location-centric information is that information related to thelocation identifier. The location-centric information is thatinformation described above as being stored in database 112 and may alsoinclude information available over network 120 that is related to alocation identifier such as detailed residential unit informationincluding house description, sale price, etc.

In an operation 210, a location identifier is transmitted to, andultimately received by, wireless device 102. Alternatively, a pluralityof location identifiers may be transmitted to wireless device 102. FIGS.3-13 illustrate exemplary displays that may be viewed by user 106accessing system 100 of the invention in the search for a particularpiece of real estate. As illustrated in FIG. 3, wireless device 102presents a location identifier display 300 for viewing by user 106.Location identifier display 300 may be an interactive display viewed byuser 106 when user 106 desires to import location-centric information towireless device 102 from location-centric information system 110. Hence,wireless device 102 may include computer executable software code storedon a computer readable medium of wireless device 102 for prompting user106 to select the appropriate location identifier to retrieve theappropriate location-centric information from location-centricinformation system 110 to wireless device 102. User 106 can interactwith the display using a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone, etc. Inone embodiment, location identifier display 300 presents interactivelinks 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 that user 106 may use to import orretrieve the desired location-centric information from location-centricinformation system 110, or perform some other function usinglocation-centric information system 110 as will be described.Interactive links 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 may include a locationidentifier.

Other interactive links may be provided for various functions such assearching database 112 as will be described below. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 3, location identifier display 300 also includes aconduct search icon 308, which permits user 106 to perform a search ofdatabase 112 and a “Call Agent” icon 310 which allows user 106 tocontact a person with greater knowledge of the particular location.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, interactive links 302, 304, 306include location identifiers in the form of street addresses. In thisembodiment, a plurality of location identifiers 302, 304, 306 may beincluded when the location-centric information system 110 is unable toattribute the geographic position of wireless device 102 with aparticular landmark. This may occur, for example, when a geographicposition corresponds to several entries in database 112. In such a case,location-centric information system 110 provides the possible locationidentifiers corresponding to the several entries within a predeterminedor random radius of the geographic position of wireless device 102. Forexample, if user 106 is located on a street in front of several houses,location-centric information system 110 may provide location identifiersindicating the street address of the houses in the general vicinity.More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when user 106 is located,for example, in front of “103 Oak Street” location-centric informationsystem 110 may provide location identifiers of “101 Oak Street,” “103Oak Street,” and “105 Oak Street.” As mentioned above, the locationidentifiers may also take the form of graphic images of the housesprovided wireless device 102 is capable of providing such a display.

In another example, if user 106 is located in the Grand Canyon anddesires to retrieve information about the Canyon, the locationidentifiers that may be provided may relate to the direction user 106 isfacing (e.g., North, South, West, East). When user 106 selects theappropriate location identifier, location-centric information may beprovided based on the direction user 106 is facing.

Geographic position information of wireless device 102 may be attributedto a distinct landmark within location-centric information system 110.In that case, location-centric information system 110 may only transmitto wireless device 102 a single location identifier. In such anembodiment, user 106 would then select the single location identifier.In another embodiment, location-centric information system 110 mayprovide a plurality of location identifiers 302, 304, 306, but mayhighlight the location identifier that is attributed to the distinctlandmark as shown at 304. In this manner, user 106 may actively choosefrom alternative location identifiers 302, 306. In a further embodiment,where a precise location is provided to location-centric informationsystem 110 from wireless device 102, location-centric information system110 may transmit to wireless device 102 only location-centricinformation relevant to the particular location without user 106 everactively selecting the location identifier. In such a situation, user106 may be passively selecting the appropriate location identifier byvirtue of the position of user 106 with respect to the particularlocation.

When presented with a location identifier 302, 304, 306, in an operation212, user 106 selects the appropriate location identifier. Uponselecting the location identifier, location-centric information system110 transmits location-centric information related to the selectedlocation identifier to wireless device 102. In those embodiments where alocation identifier is transmitted, location-centric information system110 transmits location-centric information to wireless device 102 whenthe distinct landmark is identified.

When wireless device 102 receives the location-centric information in anoperation 214, user 106 is able to manipulate the location-centricinformation to obtain location-centric information relevant to user 106.For example, FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a location-centricinformation search display 400 viewed by user 106 upon receivinglocation-centric information. Location-centric information searchdisplay 400 may include a menu or list of icons with selections 402,404, 406, 408, 310 for user 106 to choose from to obtain more narrowlytailored or focused information about the particular place at which theyare located. In the illustrated embodiment of a user accessing system110 for a real estate transaction, such information may include saleprice 402, historical data 404, voice description 406, and graphics 408.The list can be expanded beyond these four options as would be apparent.Selecting “sale price” item 402 may present to user 106 the current saleprice for the property, as will be discussed below. Choosing “historicaldata” item 404 may present user 106 with the historical sale prices forthe property in order to assess the property's appreciation over time.Selecting “voice description” option 406 may play back a spokendescription of the property. Finally, selecting “graphics” item 408 maydisplay any available graphics (e.g., floor plans, exterior or interiorviews, or walk-throughs) relating to the property.

If user 106 selects one of items 402, 404, 406, 408, from search display400, a data retrieval display 500 may be displayed, an example of whichis illustrated in FIG. 5. Data retrieval display 500 can include moredetailed information 502 and action icons 504, 506, 310 which enableuser 106 to take action based on detailed information 502 regarding theparticular location at which user 106 is located. Referring to theillustrated embodiment, when user 106 selects “sale price” icon 402,sale price 502, an option to make an appointment 504 to view theproperty, and the ability to place a bid 506 on the property may bedisplayed.

Where user 106 chooses an action icon 504, 506, user 106 may bepresented with a display 600 that may allow user 106 to take some actionwith respect to the property at which user 106 is located. In theillustrated embodiment, assuming user selects “make appointment” item504, an appointment display 600 is viewed by user 106 as illustrated inFIG. 6. From appointment display 600, user 106 can choose frompre-selected appointment times such as today 602, tomorrow 604, orschedule a different appointment time 606. If user 106 selects “bid”item 506, user 106 will be prompted to enter a bid amount, which will betransmitted back to database 112. In this manner, user 106 is able tointeract with database 112.

FIGS. 7-12 illustrate various exemplary displays on wireless device 102hat may be viewed by user 106 when user 106 desires to search for aparticular landmark (i.e., building, property, park, body of water,etc.). FIG. 7 illustrates a search initiation display 700 shown afteruser's 106 location has been determined using one of the methodsdescribed above. Search initiation display 700 may be similar tolocation identifier display 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 provided locationidentifier display 300 includes a “conduct search” icon 308 asillustrated. Search initiation display 700 allows user 106 to searchdatabase 112 for more detailed information as will be described. In theillustrated embodiment of user 106 conducting a real estate transaction,search initiation display 700 includes a list 702 of street addresses ofproperties adjacent to the particular property in which user 106 isconcerned, and a “conduct search” icon 704. If user 106 desiresassistance at any time during the search process, user 106 may selectcall agent item 310, and user 106 will be connected to an operator orrecording that may provide additional instruction or information. Such afeature may be available whether user 106 is using wireless device 102to conduct a real estate transaction or any other type of transaction.Call agent item 310 is accessible from any of the displays described.

User 106 enters the search process after selecting “conduct search” item704 from search initiation display 700. A search selection display 800,illustrated in FIG. 8, can then viewed by user 106. Search selectiondisplay 800 allows user 106 to choose from broad categories of selectioncriteria. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, where user 106 isinterested in real estate, they may be given the option of searching forproperties to either rent or buy. User 106 may be presented withselection icons 802, 804 to prompt the database to narrow the search toa particular category. As illustrated in FIG. 9, user 106 may bepresented with a criteria selection display 900 that allows user 106 tofurther define the search criteria within the chosen category based onthe chosen selection icon 802, 804 from search selection display 800.Criteria selection display 900 includes search criteria or searchoptions 902, 904, 906, 908. In the illustrated embodiment, criteriaselection display 900 includes a menu of search options, includingsearch by town 902, search by zip code 904, search by present location906, and search by street address 908.

Upon making a selection from criteria selection display 900, user 106may then be presented with a transaction type display 1000 that allowsuser 106 to define the specific criteria chosen from criteria selectiondisplay 900 by using a selection list 1002. In the illustratedembodiment, assuming that user 106 chooses “search by present location”item 906, a transaction type display 1000 is viewed, from which user 106can narrow the geographic scope of the search by selecting, for example,a predefined radius 1002.

Once user 106 defines the specific search criteria, user 106 may bepresented with a narrow search display 1100, to further narrow thesearch results within the specific criteria by choosing from a selectionlist 1102 of narrowing criteria. In the illustrated embodiment, user 106selects, for example, the price range for the property from a list ofprice ranges 1102. The list of narrowing criteria may include anycriteria that would narrow the search results retrieved. For example,the criteria could include features such as number of bedrooms, numberof bathrooms, square footage, location (i.e., near a golf course, near alake, etc.).

FIG. 12 illustrates a data presentation display 1200 that permits user106 to select the order in which the search results are to be presented.User 106 may be given options 1202, 1204, 1206, 1208 to choose from. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the results can be sorted by proximity touser's 106 present location 1202, in descending order starting with themost expensive property 1204, in ascending order beginning with theleast expensive property 1206, and by property rating 1208. The propertyrating 1208 is a proprietary rating determined on the basis of thecondition of the property, the location of the property, and the listprice of the property.

There may be an infinite number of displays and search criteria screensthat allow user 106 to narrow or expand their search for a particularlandmark. The invention is not limited to the number of search screensillustrated and disclosed above. For example, in another embodiment ofthe invention, there may be a single search screen without the abilityto define search criteria. In another embodiment, user 106 may be ableto decide to what extent they desire to narrow the search and executethe search prior to viewing all of the criteria narrowing search screensdescribed above.

The embodiments described above allow user 106 to retrieve informationabout a particular landmark near which they are located. If a person islooking for a house, apartment, or other property to rent or purchase,the property near which they are located may not be for sale or rent.But the person may like some of the features of the home or the generaldesign. In that case, the person would benefit from knowing similarproperties in the area that are for sale or rent.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 13-15, it is possible for user106 to search for a landmark that has similar features or attributes asa landmark in front of which user 106 is located. In such a situation,user 106 may view similar search display 1300 that includes a similarsearch icon 1310. For example, if user 106 is located in front of a homethat is not for sale, but user 106 would like to purchase a similarhome, by choosing the appropriate location identifier 702, and “similarsearch” icon 1310, location-centric information system 110 may providemultiple location identifiers or addresses 1410 of second homes that arefor sale having similar attributes to the first home. The results may bedisplayed in a similar search results screen 1400. When user 106 ispresented with similar search results screen 1400 with multiple locationidentifiers 1410, user 106 may then choose a single location identifieror address about which to obtain more detailed information. User 106 maythen be presented with a similar search address display 1500. Fromsimilar search address display 1500, user 106 may choose to receive amap 1520 to the second home, driving directions 1530 to the second home,and more information 1540 about the second landmark (e.g., sale price,school district, days on market, etc.). The search criteria may be morenarrowly defined as described above with reference to FIGS. 7-12 suchthat only similar homes for sale within a certain radius, price range,etc. are shown.

User 106 may choose which attributes of the home in which they areinterested to tailor the search to only include homes for sale thatinclude that particular attribute. For example, if user 106 likes thestyle of the home (e.g., colonial, split-level) then user 106 may narrowthe search criteria to only search for similar homes of a particularstyle.

The attributes contained in location-centric information system 110include, but are not limited to, home style, parcel lot size, number offloors, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, roof style, windowstyle, architect, builder, landscaping, garage features, kitchenfeatures, flooring features, utility features, color, size, etc.

User 106 may also obtain detailed information about a particularattribute of a landmark in which they are interested. Referring to FIGS.16-19, user 106 may be located in front of a landmark that has aparticular feature (e.g., landscaping, windows, door, design) in whichuser 106 is interested. In such a situation, user 106 may view a featuresearch display 1600 that includes a feature search icon 1610. Uponchoosing feature search icon 1610, user 106 views a feature selectiondisplay 1700 as illustrated in FIG. 17. Feature selection display 1700allows user 106 to select the type of feature of interest such asinterior feature 1710, exterior feature 1720, or service feature 1730.Interior features may include such features as lighting fixtures,plumbing fixtures, flooring, wallpaper, window treatments, molding,appliances, etc. Exterior features may include such features as rooftype, windows, siding, shingles, etc. Service features may include suchfeatures as landscaping, gardening, sprinkler systems, pool care etc.

When user 106 selects a feature 1710, 1720, 1730, user 106 can view thenarrow feature selection display 1800 as illustrated in FIG. 18. Fromnarrow feature selection display 1800, user 106 selects the particularfeature of interest from a list of features 1810. The illustratedexample includes interior features, but may also include exteriorfeatures and service features as apparent. Upon selecting a particularfeature, user 106 may be presented with a feature detail display 1900that includes detailed feature information 1910. The detailed featureinformation includes specific information about the chosen feature ofthe particular landmark. The specific information may include contactinformation for service providers that either manufacture, sell, repair,etc. the particular feature. The detailed feature information may alsoinclude contact information for the architect that designed thelandmark, service providers related to the landmark, etc. User 106 maydesire to view another landmark including similar features as thelandmark of interest. In such a situation, user 106 may be presentedwith similar search results screen 1400 and similar search addressdisplay 1500 as described above. In another embodiment, only featuresfor which the location-centric information system has information areprovided in the feature list 1810.

For example, if user 106 approached a house that had a certain color andstyle of brick that was desirable, user 106 would select feature searchicon 1610. They would then choose exterior feature 1720 to obtain list1810 that includes various exterior features. Upon selecting bricks orsiding from list 1810, user 106 may be presented with detailed featureinformation. For example, the detailed feature information may includethe manufacturer name, the specific manufacturer specifications for theparticular bricks on the home of interest, contact information for themanufacturer, retailers that provide the particular product or similarproducts, contact information for those retailers, prices of theproduct, the particular mason or mason-sub-contractor that installed thebrick, and other information associated with the brick could be providedor would be apparent etc. Contact information may be provided forparticular categories of retailers or manufacturers. For example, in thepresent embodiment, where user 106 selected bricks from list of features1810, detailed information regarding retailers and manufacturers of“building products” would be provided in detailed feature information1910. Such detailed feature information 1910 could be provided forcategories of service providers as well.

In another embodiment retailers and manufacturers advertise onlocation-centric information system 110. When user 106 selects aparticular feature from list of features 1810, they may be presentedwith manufacturers, retailers, or service providers that provide theparticular product or similar products or related services, but only ifthat manufacturer, retailer or service provider advertises onlocation-centric information system 110. The advertisement may be a paidadvertisement or may be provided as a free service for simplyregistering with the provider of location-centric information system110.

A database according to another aspect of the invention is depictedgenerally in FIG. 21. The database includes a number of locations 2110associated with particular volumes in the base grid. Each of theselocations has a number of location-centric information data fields,2120, associated with the location in the database, as illustrated bythe arrow 2130. These location-centric information data fields may beconfigured to be updated dynamically in real-time. Alternatively, theymay contain predetermined static information. In the illustratedembodiment, four information data fields are associated with aparticular location. It is to be understood that any number ofinformation data fields may be associated with each location.

These data fields may include information pertaining to a landmark at aparticular location in one data field, current weather conditions inanother data field, and a historical event in another data field. Theinformation stored in this type of a database may include bothinformation that is static (i.e., the historical information andinformation pertaining to the landmark), and dynamically updatedinformation (i.e., information about current weather conditions).

As illustrated in FIG. 21, the electronic device, 2160, may sendlocation data to the database, as indicated by arrow 2140. In thedatabase, the software searches for the location data field associatedwith the location of the electronic device 2160. Once that location isfound, location-centric information associated with that location issent to the electronic device, as indicated by arrow 2150. The databaseand the electronic device may communicate through various means, asdescribed in detail above.

While specific embodiments have been described in detail with respect tolandmarks and real-estate, other applications of the invention arewithin the scope of the invention. For example, a user using theelectrical device, the systems, and the methods of the invention mayreceive real-time information at a baseball game. For example, theelectronic device may determine (using GPS or other means as describedherein) that the user is at a particular ballpark. The database may betemporally seamless and may include information about the present gamebeing watched. For example, information about the pitcher and batter maybe obtained, including season stats, game stats, career stats, personalinformation, photographs etc. For example, the user of the device mayreceive a “virtual baseball card” for a particular player. Additionallyhistorical information may be received about the ball park, the teamsplaying, or individual players. Future information may also be receivedincluding the list of players that are due to bat in the next inning, orthe available pitchers that may be called in from the bull pen. Also,information about the next game may be received by the user via theelectronic device. Similar applications can be implemented with variousother sporting events/venues.

In addition to uses at sporting events, the invention finds applicationin populated areas, such as metropolitan areas. A user of a device maybe walking around a metropolitan area and want to eat. Information aboutthe restaurants within a predetermined volume or location may beobtained. For example, the user may ask for information aboutrestaurants within five blocks. The database may contain informationabout table availability updated in real-time over an internet or awireless network, and may relay that information to the user of thedevice. Additionally, the user may obtain information about the currentspecials available from each restaurant within the predeterminedlocation or volume. The user may also be informed as to whetherparticular restaurants or bars are carrying a particular sporting event,if there are cover charges, and the amount of the cover charges, whetherthere is a band playing at a restaurant or bar, and/or the hours ofoperation of a restaurant or bar.

In another embodiment of the invention, the location-centric informationis only transmitted to the wireless when the wireless device isconfigured with an encryption coder or key. Additionally, the locationcentric information may only be transmitted to the encrypted wirelessdevice at a particular time or a particular location. For example, theinformation pertaining to a military operation may only be transmittedto a particular encrypted device at a predetermined time in apredetermined place.

As discussed above, the system and methods of the invention can beimplemented in an amusement park. For example, if a user of the deviceis in an amusement park, the user may be able to obtain real-timeinformation about the length of wait for certain rides or may simplyobtain information about rides for which the wait is less than apredetermined time (e.g. 10 minutes).

In an alternative embodiment, the user of the device may be able totrack their position relative to another user of the system. Forexample, in the amusement park embodiment discussed above, both theparents and children in an amusement park could have a wireless device.In this manner, the parents would be able to track the relative positionof their children and vise versa.

The principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the inventionhave been described in the foregoing description. However, the inventionthat is intended to be protected is not to be construed as limited tothe particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments describedherein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.Variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed,without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it isexpressly intended that all such variations, changes and equivalentswhich fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined inthe claims be embraced thereby.

We claim:
 1. A method of retrieving location-centric information,comprising: identifying a geographic location from a plurality ofgeographic locations within a base grid using an electronic device, thebase grid being defined by a plurality of volumes, the volumes definingthe plurality of geographic locations within the base grid; identifyinga property associated with the geographic location; querying a databasebased on data associated with the property, the geographic locationbeing associated with a location of the electronic device, and thedatabase including information associated with at least some of theplurality of the geographic locations within the base grid; receivingdirectly from the database a data set associated with the identifiedproperty, the data set including a selectable icon associated withmaking a bid; and transmitting data associated with a selection of theicon associated with making a bid.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinidentifying the geographic location includes identifying the geographiclocation seamlessly.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein querying adatabase based on data associated with the property includes querying adatabase based on a geocode associated with the geographic location. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data set associated withthe identified property includes receiving the data set in real-time. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data set associated withthe identified property includes receiving information that has beendynamically updated via a network, the dynamically updated informationbeing associated with the identified geographic location.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein receiving the data set associated with theidentified property includes: receiving information based on sensor datathat has been dynamically updated via a network, the dynamically updatedinformation being associated with the identified geographic location. 7.The method of claim 1, wherein the database is located at a geographicposition different from the geographic position of the electronicdevice.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is located at ageographic position different from the geographic position of theidentified property.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving from the database an audio response.
 10. A processor-readablemedium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor toperform a process, the code comprising code to: provide informationrelated to a geographic location associated with a position of anelectronic device to an information system, the geographic locationbeing located within a base grid; receive a location identifierassociated with a property at the geographic location from theinformation system; receive a first menu of location-centric informationassociated with the property directly from the information system, thefirst menu having a plurality of selectable icons; and transmit dataassociated with a selection of an icon from the plurality of icons tothe information system, the plurality of selectable icons including anicon associated with making a bid.
 11. The processor-readable medium ofclaim 10, wherein the code is configured to associate geocode based onthe geographic location with the location-centric information.
 12. Theprocessor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code for receivingthe first menu of location-centric information includes code forreceiving the first menu of location-centric information in real time.13. The processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code forreceiving the first menu of location-centric information includes codefor receiving the first menu of location-centric information that hasbeen dynamically updated via a network.
 14. The processor-readablemedium of claim 10, wherein the code for receiving the first menu oflocation-centric information includes code for receiving a first oflocation-centric sensor information, the sensor information beingdynamically updated via a network.
 15. The computer-executable softwarecode of claim 10, wherein the information system is located at ageographic position different from the geographic position of theelectronic device.
 16. The computer-executable software code of claim10, wherein the information system is located at a geographic positiondifferent from the geographic position of the property.
 17. Thecomputer-executable software code of claim 10, further comprising:receiving from the database an audio response.
 18. A processor-readablemedium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor toperform a process, the code comprising code to: provide informationrelated to a geographic location associated with a position of anelectronic device to an information system, the geographic locationbeing located within a base grid; receive a location identifierassociated with a property at the geographic location from theinformation system; receive a first menu of location-centric informationassociated with the property directly from the information system, thefirst menu having a plurality of selectable icons; transmit dataassociated with a selection of an icon from the plurality of icons tothe information system; and receive an audio response directly from thedatabase based on the selection.
 19. The processor-readable medium ofclaim 18, wherein the audio response includes a description of theproperty.